SI is taking this Strip thing to a whole new level - with a little help from Lexus.

On the heels of the duo's QR code-enabled interactive print ad, the brands used Caesars Las Vegas as the canvas for a rip-roaring 3D projection mapping experience last night, featuring models from this year's big Swimsuit Edition.

The event was managed by Pearl Media, and the 3D projection experience was developed by Go2 Productions - the same team we worked with to develop our big LA Traffic Jam with Train, presented by LoopNet last month.

There are lots of things for fans of the annual issue to like - including building-size views of Kate Upton and her fellow SI models - with 3D elements, no less.

My view: As SI's first 3D experience, this is a sure sign the venerable SI "Swimsuit Edition" brand means business - and that Lexus is more than happy to help it hit the accelerator.

But what's your view? Is this whole spectacle a sign of overexposure?

Or a major splash for what is becoming a powerhouse media event?

Click here to view the embedded video.

There was that 3D projection mapping experience on an LA Hotel a while back. And in October, the brand brought a print ad to life with the help of a handy iPad.

This time out, Lexus is going a bit simpler, keying into QR codes - the scanning of which reveals models kinda-sorta hidden in SI print ads for the new IS.

Still, the pursuit of perfection could have added a little more punch to the reveals than just having the models strut toward us. Integrating with the car in some fashion - or really just doing anything a little more interesting - would have been a better pay off for going to all the trouble.

Okay, it's still pretty cool. And it's apparently just the opening act. According to ADWEEK, the Lexus IS is also included in Sport Illustrated's first-ever 3D projection mapping experience on the facade at Caesar's Las Vegas.

Get the full scoop here.

How are you bringing B2C approaches to your B2B marketing?

Are you doing it at all?

For far too many B2B marketers, there's a view that never the two should meet. But as I write in my book THE ON-DEMAND BRAND, it's critical that B2B marketers realize business people are just that - people. And their exposure to B2C marketing approaches in their personal lives sets expectations for B2B marketing, whether B2B marketers like it or not.

But some savvy B2B marketers have caught on - big time.

Case in point: Our client LoopNet, the #1 online marketplace for commercial real estate.

Over the last few months, LoopNet has launched an integrated campaign that's predicated on a simple, yet powerful message: If your commercial listings aren't advertised on LoopNet, they may as well be invisible. That's because only LoopNet drives traffic to commercial real estate listings like literally no other option can.

Print, direct mail and online advertising developed by has articulated this theme in compelling, brand consistent fashion.

So when LoopNet decided to fete the luminaries of Los Angeles commercial real estate, we got to thinking: What if we took our message and super-sized it? What if we used a full-motion, building-size canvass to drive home the LoopNet value proposition in an amazing new way?

In short: I wanted to bring 3D projection to our campaign.

So I reached out to Josh Cohen, the CEO of Pearl Media (and its partner Go2 Productions), which has worked on a number of 3D projection mapping experiences for B2C brands like Lexus, Perrier and Chevy Sonic.

I asked him straight up: "Do you think you can make a building in downtown LA go invisible?" He thought about it, and then said: "Yes, I think we can do that."

The concept began gaining traction, and eventually became LA Traffic Jam, Presented by LoopNet - a spectacular, VIP event featuring a private concert by TRAIN ("Drive-by") and our 3D projection experience.

Multidimensional direct mail invites featured cool, die-cut guitar bodies, iPods featuring TRAIN music and a call to action to join LoopNet "at the Corner of Epic & Mind-Blowing."

Fans, attendees and participants could join the conversation via mobile & online at the hashtag #looptrafficjam.

And video of the projection was placed on a special landing page and on YouTube. The client even decided to give viewers the ability to share the video via social media for the chance to win a $1250 Fender guitar signed by the band.

The event was last Thursday night - and it was a blast. Testament to a client who thrives on innovation and embraces a decidedly B2C approach to blockbuster B2B campaigns.

There's a making-of video in the works that I'll share when it's ready, along with more details of what worked, and what didn't, as client and team analysis comes in.

In the meantime, give it a view - and enter for your own chance to win that signed guitar.

As a follow-up to the article Influence of Buyer Perceived Value (BPV) on Buyer Behaviors and Decisions, offered is a perspective on how to implement a scorecard approach.  The Buyer Perceived Value (BPV) Scorecard™ combines both a qualitative as well as a quantitative approach to understanding the influence of buyer values.  An important disclaimer here is that there have been many scorecard approaches for measuring customer value over the past two decades.  My point is not to endorse any particular one but to endorse the notion that values are rapidly changing and that buyer perceived value is critical to understanding buyer behavior.  The understanding of buyer behavior is the central focal point of Buyerology© and understanding Buyer Perceived Value (BPV)™ is one key aspect.

Before jumping into a quantitative approach, it is important to emphasize the need for reaching an understanding of Buyer Perceived Value (BPV) qualitatively.  Perceived values are changing rapidly and will continue to do so as new buyer behaviors are formed – changes driven by the introduction of new technologies and business models.  Multiple and varietal forms of qualitative methods help to provide a unique articulation of value criteria that buyers may formalize or internalize for decisions.  Qualitative understanding is essential due to buyers, common to human behavior, having difficulty in offering a clean series of statements that accurately reflect their value sentiments.  Multiple qualitative methods assist in identifying un-articulated patterns of thinking and behaviors that can be translated into value attributes unique to your industry, markets, and organization.  Basing a scorecard approach on a generalized and presumed sense of buyer perceived value attributes mitigates the usefulness of a Buyer Perceived Value Scorecard™ severely for informing buyer strategies.   Now let’s take the academic speak out of the above and simply say that if you base the scorecard on what you think buyer’s value versus actually going out to talk to buyers and using qualitative methods to uncover values – it will be of no particular use.

As mentioned in the previous article on Buyer Perceived Value (BPV), value has been viewed conventionally around product and service.  The convergence of the Internet and the Social Age is resulting in new as well as evolving values that we may not fully understand at the moment.  Calling for qualitative means of discovering exactly what these values are and the meaning behind them.  This is the primary reason why I advocate strongly the need for qualitative research to understand Buyer Perceived Value (BPV) meaningfully.

Once value attributes have been identified, monitoring and using a scorecard approach can help to inform how an organization can improve as well as build new strategies to better align with buyers.  To make a scorecard purposeful for informing strategies, there are several key elements to incorporate:

Priority: Not all values are perceived equally.  Determining through qualitative means how much weight buyers place on certain value attributes is essential.

Ideal: After values are weighted, what do the values look like in a perfect world to buyers?  The goal becoming how to score a perfect 10 on all value attributes.

Perceived: Once value attributes have been identified and established, a combination of qualitative and survey methods can help in discovering how buyers perceive the organization abilities in measuring up to the ideal.

Differential: Using the scorecard approach can help in identifying the largest differentials between what buyers consider of high value and where the organization is falling short in the minds of buyers.

Below is a simplified version of such a scorecard:

In the example below, you will see a red flag around implementation support suggesting improvement.  You will also note that 24 hour turnaround is prioritized highly and this can include the use of social networks.  The meaning behind each value attribute listed should be supported by qualitative interpretation.  For example, what exactly do buyers’ value in implementation support?  How much of a factor is social engagement behind 24 hour turnaround perception?

By combining the use of multiple qualitative research methods and quantitative analysis, an organization can begin to get a realistic handle on how well they measure up to the perceived values buyers base decision-making criteria’s on.  We are at a point in marketplace history where uncertainty reigns.  The importance of refreshing, qualitatively, the understanding of exactly what buyers perceive as values and how much weight is put on each is critical to being on the buyer’s radar of choice.  What we can count on is that new technologies, services, and business models will cause shifts in what buyer’s value.

How do you plan to stay informed of these shifts in buyer perceived values?

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In my recent article, Buyerology: The New Science of Understanding Buyer Behavior, I introduced the concept of Buyerology and the need for a renewed focus on understanding buyer behavior in the Social Age.  A key component of understanding buyer behaviors and decisions is gaining a reality check on Buyer Perceived Values (BPV).  How well organizations; in relations to products, service, and brand; maps to Buyer Perceived Values will serve as the one of the primary influences that shapes buyer behaviors and purchase decisions.

Buyer behavior research, performed through qualitative means, can reveal many aspects of what comprises Buyer Perceived Values (BPV).  Buyer experience is now becoming one of the most important factors that contributes to and influences these values.  The convergence of the Internet and the Social Age, in fact, is introducing many new variables and factors that influence Buyer Perceived Values.  Some of the new variables include:

Buyer Experience: previous as well as in process buyer experience can have an enormous impact on how buyers perceive the value that organizations can bring to their challenges and environments.  This correlation is becoming stronger as more self-directed experiences by buyers evolve.

Engagement: I have written recently about social engagement as well as how buyers are internalizing their own Social Engagement Index.  Evidence is building that how involved and how engaged buyers are is shaping the buyer’s perceived value of making a decision to enter into a relationship as well as make a purchase decision.

Knowledge: shared knowledge related to informative problem solving can help influence positively buyer’s perceived values.  This is an area of improvement for the evolving areas of content strategy and content marketing.  Just as social media fatigue may be setting in, I am beginning to see signs of content fatigue also.  Content creation for the sake of content, especially with dramatic self-promoting marketing flair, is now getting filtered by buyers.  The old adage that too much of good thing can actually hurt you can be true in this case.

Network: a new evolving factor is the growing influence of social networks that extends well beyond peer influence.  A new dynamic that associates peer recommendations with something we can refer to as network buzz.  It is proving to be a tricky formula.  A formula that needs to be organic as opposed to imposed upon.

These are just four new and evolving, of sure to be more variables, that influence Buyer Perceived Values.  Dramatically calling for the need for further buyer behavior research that can help organizations today understand why and how buyers are making decisions today.  This does not minimize nor excludes other conventional type variables such as:

Brand: a strong brand is also a strong leverage point in influencing Buyer Perceived Values (BPV)

Loyalty: the cumulative value of previous buyer experiences and relationships can translate into strong customer loyalty

Quality: no amount of new efforts in social business and content marketing can make up for poor quality and service.  Another old adage applies here: make sure your house is in order before you move on.

Risks:  let’s face it – changing products or services in a B2B market can turn into an agonizing experience for buyers.  Buyers have to see the risks of changing mitigated in order to make a switch.  The degree of risks involved has a direct influence on Buyer Perceived Value.

Price: competitive pricing will always remain a significant variable in determining a Buyer’s Perceived Value.  The positive or negative impact of other variables can influence the tolerance level on pricing and how it directly influences a Buyer’s Perceived Value.

What we do know is that the above mentioned variables or factors, both new and conventional, translate into Buyer Perceived Values which directly affect the buyer’s behavior and decision-making.  How buyers experience these variables or factors throughout the buying process not only will shape their internalized Buyer Perceived Values but also determine how long they choose to stay in the buying process specifically with one organization versus another.

Understanding Buyer Perceived Values requires qualitative research means and constant monitoring as we now live in a hyper-connected and social world.  Not only will values shift over time, but we are bound to witness new factors or variables that evolve and further change the buyer landscape.

One place senior executives can start thinking about Buyer Perceived Value (BPV) in general is by asking: do I have any idea what our buyer’s perceived values are?

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In my previous article, Enhance the Buyer Experience with Intelligent Engagement, I referenced a trend I called Experiential Buying.  Buyer behaviors in B2B marketplaces are shifting tremendously towards more holistic experiential expectations that defy the conventional straight re-buy, modified re-buy, and new buy behaviors of the past.  Buyer expectations have increased with regards to the experiences they undergo as well as desire.

In simplistic generalities, we can take a view of two experience categories that B2B buyers may seek:

Self-Enabled Buying

In this situation, a buyer may want to experience a re-buy that reaffirms his or her decision to continue a relationship.  Even in modified re-buy situations, the buyer may be looking for an experience where they can perform the modifications themselves.  The difference in the modern social age is that buyer expectations have changed.  If companies have not adapted their businesses to enhanced online and social capabilities, they may very well be placing artificial barriers in front of their buyers who are seeking an entirely different straight re-buy or modified re-buy experience than in the past.  As consumer-like experiences become more desired in business marketplaces, companies will need to rethink many aspects of their sales and service capabilities as well as interactions.  This includes taking a hard look at barriers they may be putting up in front of their buyers unintentionally.

Assist-Enabled Buying

In those situations where buyers are actively seeking assistance, the cumulative experiences of the assistance they receive are becoming important factors in their decisions.  In situations of modified re-buy and new buy, organizations today must look not only towards Intelligent Engagement as mention in my previous article, but they must examine and establish a balance between assistance and empowerment.  Plainly speaking, what companies have to be careful about is how long-ago established internal processes may not be fulfilling buyer expectations for an experience.  It seems to me, as observed in recent qualitative research, that buyers wanting assistance also want to feel empowered to act on their own on different levels without the excessive "hand-holding" companies feel they've gain permission to exercise.

What is becoming more apparent is that companies in the near future will need to build adaptive capabilities for enabling experiential buying.  In such a way that it allows for buyers themselves to create their own adaptive differentiated experiences.  Buyers enabled to create their experiences of finding the right knowledge at the right time at the right place at the right interaction level and at the right solution.  Companies that can figure out how to get this experiential buying formula right – will have the competitive advantage going forward.

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Relationship marketing is a hot topic in marketing today. It’s definitely not a new concept. But still there continues to be a lot of buzz around the concept. Why? Because it evolves. As our society, media and technologies evolve, the practice of relationship marketing evolves along. So it’s not the concept or thought that changes, but our ability to actually practice relationship marketing in more and more effective ways. The latest in relationship marketing is the concept of Customer Experience Management (CXM), and it might just enable us to make a big leap forward.

Targeted marketing
Marketing becomes more effective once it becomes more specific. That’s a given. In today’s web 2.0 environment, we use social media and targeting to reach very specific audiences with specific messages. And it’s proving it’s worth. Targeted ads work better then non-targeted ads. The biggest web 2.0 media companies (e.g. Google, Facebook, Yahoo, LinkedIn) owe their success to exactly this practice. Allowing advertisers to bring the right message to the right person at the right time.

Is targeting relationship-marketing?
But we all know, the more targeted the ad, the higher the price. Reaching out to the right people costs money. So we have to ask ourselves, do we generate enough return from this investment? Driving the right audience to our website using targeted ads sounds like proper start to relationship marketing, right? But how do we really leverage this? Right now, we often try to create the best landing page and aim for that conversion or sale. Great, except what if your visitor leaves, and comes back later. Do you still know what targeted group that visitor belonged to? Probably not, your ad network has that data, but you don’t.

I’d almost say that if a prospect clicks on a targeted ad on an external site, lands on our landing page and the conversion doesn't happen, we forget who that prospect was again. At later encounters, we just start over again. Don’t we care anymore? Didn’t we pay premium to know who this person is? It seems like we’re often still using relationship-marketing tools for transactional goals. Why? Because it was simply the best we could. Relationship-marketing can only be used as effective as the methods or systems that we have at hand.

Introducing CXM
Today, marketers start to see issues like this, and increasingly are building/adapting solutions to solve them. A recent popular solution seems to be a central hub that captures and tracks profiles of visitors on you site, gathering all kinds of demographic, behavioral and relationship information, to give them a better experience, build a relationship and sell more targeted products. These holistic online marketing hubs are what we since recently call Customer Experience Management solutions.

Customer Experience Management is a concept that describes how we are integrating all dialogues (potentially both offline and online) with our audience. The idea is to have a central marketing hub that holds information about the interactions that an individual has had with your brand. Enabling you as a marketer to always build on from where you left off. In the earlier example of the targeted ad, we’ll remember the demographics or the specific interest of that visitor. So from now on, building profiles includes more then just the social media channels, it’s encompasses your website, your mobile app, your e-mail channel, and any other online (or occasionally offline) channels that you might hook up to it. More then that, marketers also make sure their CXM platform talks to the CRM, DAM, PIM or other databases.

Not just listening
But the main thing that makes CXM so popular right now among online marketers is that it doesn’t just track conversations and relationships across channels. It also allows us to actively run campaigns that extend upon these relationships again, on all these different channels. Imaginable, this holistic and actionable view of the visitor will have major implications for the developments of relationship-marketing that we are going to see in the coming years. Marketers are not only gaining insights about their audience like never before, the ROI on social media marketing and online relationship-building efforts might finally grow out of its experimental phase.

With the introduction of CXM, we might just be making a great leap forward in getting a grip on our drifting audience again. So keep an eye out for these developments. Or to learn a little more about the details, listen to this short interview I recently had with industry analyst Tony White about CXM for a webinar that he recently gave.

Online engagement is about just that. Creating the best online experiences for the visitors on your different channels. Experiences that clearly benefit both your visitor and your brand. Whether discounts, give-aways or promotions, win-win is still one of the best ways to win customers. So how can we create win-win experiences with our increasingly dispersed and heterogeneous audience? One way is to use profiling to get to know your audience. Here’s an introduction on how to make online profiling work for you and your online visitors in 4 steps.

1 Objectives go both ways

When designing an online experience, always start with an objective in mind. That’s a no-brainer. But do you also realize that every one of your goals should be linked to your visitor’s goals?
Think about it. If you were Ikea for instance, and wanted to sell more children’s furniture, your customer’s goal might be to buy a bed for their five-year-old child. More specifically perhaps, a bed that can last for at least five years as the child grows. From the match in these objectives, we can create ideas for an online experience.

What if you would create a simple tool on your website that allows parents to predict what their child’s length will be after a number of years. The information filled into this tool could be used not just to offer a suitable bed, but also for later promotions. For instance because age, length and perhaps even gender of the child is known, the Ikea website could offer the right products, promotions and even send tailored e-mails.

2 What’s in it for them

“Why would I spend my time on your website”, a question that every visitor poses, consciously or unconsciously. The answer is straightforward. An appealing benefit. This can be a game, a download, information, a discount, anything. In case of the previous example it’s easy, you help your customer in their buying journey. But even before your online visitor is ready to buy, you can offer them things that can help you to get to know who they are. In the case of Ikea for instance, what if you were to offer them coloring pages? All your website’s visitors who download one, are potential buyers of children’s furniture products. In other words, producing content that holds value (or fun) for your online visitors, could very well become very useful to get to know the person on the other side of the cable.

3 What’s in it for you?

Producing ‘free content’ isn’t free, nor is offering ‘free give-aways’. So what’s the benefit for you as an online marketer? The answer is, we want to get to know our online visitors and target the right content to them on our website, in order to sell more effectively. Isn’t it strange that we pay a premium for targeted ads, but once a prospect leaves the specific landings page that we build, we seem to forget exactly what we paid that premium for: the visitor’s profile info. But online engagement is not just about selling products. What if you find out there’s a lot of parents on your website, or a lot of students. This can tell you how to steer your content-production efforts, or how to tailor online experiences and create a more effective overall website.

4 Measuring online engagement results

Obviously the way you measure online engagement depends on the goals that you set. Likes, traffic, conversions, sales, etc. The more you want to know, the more complex measurement will become. That’s why planning how to measure the success of your online engagement is an important part of the process prior to actually rolling it out. Keeping it simple is usually the golden rule here. Two or three metrics usually give enough information about campaign performance.

More importantly, metrics from online engagement campaigns can lead to great ideas on new online engagement experiences. Say you were to discover that e-mail campaigns based on online behavior is really well received. Or downloads that guide your visitors through the buying cycle boost conversions. That’s some actionable knowledge!

Think about it, what engagement would you create if you had access to your visitor’s online profiles?